“Stop being so damn deplorable and finish up,” she sasses, shutting the door behind her, leaving me chuckling at her nervousness around me. I know she likes me, she’s told me so, and I know I’m not good for her, but I can’t seem to shake her.
It’s only a couple of months before she heads off to college, and I’ll be here because I have to be. It’s time we sit down and talk. We need to make decisions. Her mother hates me, which is understandable. I’d hate me too.
Once I finish washing my hands, I pull open the door and find Trinity standing in the hallway, her arms folded across her chest, making her tits greet me before her eyes do. What can I say? I’m a man lost to a beauty who’s all innocence and sweetness.
She arches a dark brow at me. “Done?”
“Yeah.” I reach for her. Feeling her hand sliding into mine is calming. The storm that rages inside me stills while she’s close. When I’m in bed again, I tug her to me, wrapping my arm around her. “You should talk to your mother,” I suggest. I know it’s been bothering her. “I know what it’s like to lose a parent, and since your dad is gone, you shouldn’t lose your mother as well.”
“She’s not understanding me though. I’ve tried talking to her, but she doesn’t get me.” Trinity’s voice cracks. Pain is so clear in her words, which only seems to make my chest tighten. I’ve never felt so protective over someone before. Yes, my sister was my world, but this is different. It’s affection and emotion all wrapped up in one. I need to claim her and make her mine and keep her safe.
“I know, but you have to understand, you’re her baby. And don’t tell me you’re not because moms always see us as their little ones.”
Trinity glances up, her watery gaze finding mine. “Since when did you become so wise?” Her teasing makes me chuckle. “Maybe I’ll go talk to her.”
“And then you’ll have to come back here and feed me,” I tease, pulling her in for a soft kiss before releasing her. “I’ve spent these past few months living with guilt. I’m convinced I’ll forever be unforgiven for what I did.”
“But your father loves you. And you weren’t the one who pulled the trigger,” Trinity insists, to which I can only nod. I may not have held the weapon, but that’s not how my mind sees it.
“I know, little spy.”
“Will you tell me about your mom and sister?” she asks, curiosity lacing her words. I want to say no at first because talking about them makes them not being here real. But the way Trinity is looking at me has me relenting.
“Sure. Come.” She slides into the crook of my arm, and I start. “My sister was beautiful. She had these unique golden-hazel eyes like my mom. She was sixteen.” The lump in my throat threatens to choke me. “She told me she wanted to be a dancer when she was older. Ballet was her life, and she spent hours practicing. Mom would drive us out to the school, where I would head to the gym next door while my sister would dance. An hour every single day.”
“I’m sorry, Devlin,” Trinity responds in a hushed, croaky whisper. Her arm wrapping around my middle, and her tears seeping into the soft material of my T-shirt. I don’t speak because I can’t find the words to tell her just how much her being here means to me.
I’m growing soft with Trinity beside me. “My mother was a teacher,” I continue when I find my strength again. “She loved children, and I’m sure if she could have had more after us, she would’ve, but it wasn’t meant to be. Our family was complete. There was always love in our home. Even the guys used to tell me that they would hang out at our house just because Mom used to cook to feed the whole goddamned army.”
Trinity laughs. I can feel her body shake, and I can’t stop the rumble in my chest either. Talking about them is helping, I haven’t done this since . . . My dad never wanted to mention the past, so I didn’t. And I never realized just how calming it is to remember the good times.
Which brings me back to here and now, to Trinity and her mom. “Go see your mom. I’ll be okay,” I tell her, trying to steer the conversation to the present. She needs to talk to her, to make things better, because if something were to happen, she would regret it forever.
Life is short, fragile, and if you miss a day to tell those close to you how you feel, you may not get a second chance. Trinity sighs, but she pushes to her feet and bends over to kiss me on the lips. The softness of her has me groaning as my dick jolts against my boxer briefs.
“I’ll see you later,” she tells me, a soft smile on her plump lips.
“Yeah, I’ll be here,” I assure her and watch her leave. Once I’m alone, I close my eyes and ponder just what is going to happen between us. It’s not enough for me to say I want her. I’ll need to prove to her mother that I’m good for Trinity, and that’s where the problem lies. If I don’t believe it, how do I make Tawny believe it?
Epilogue
Trinity
Pushing open the door, I take in the room I’ve spent my life in. My books are still scattered on the desk, my windows shut, but the curtains open, just how I left them the last time I was in here.
My bedroom feels foreign as I move deeper into the space, even though it’s not been that long since I slept in my bed. I wanted to sit down with Mom, but she’s not home, so I take the opportunity to lie down for a rest.
The moon shines in the sky, reminding me of when I was a kid and Dad would teach me about the constellations. Silence hangs heavily in the air, and I close my eyes to think about just where he’s gone. He was so happy spending time with me under the stars. When he would tell me stories about the alignment and how things always work out.
Most girls I met while I was still at school left and went on to move to big cities, and each time another one left. They spoke about having more money, more friends, and a lifestyle of busy days and even busier nights.
I was only sixteen at the time, but that didn’t appeal to me. Small town living was my joy. I was safe here—nothing bad ever happened in Anchor Bay.
Until my father walked out.
There wasn’t a fight. No arguments between him and Mom the night before. I didn’t hear them talking, even after Mom came home. Most nights, Dad would stay up waiting for her to walk in, yet that night, all I heard was silence.
“No!” My mother’s voice shatters that familiar silence. The jarring shout has me on alert as my heart leaps into my throat, beating a wild rhythm which threatens to choke me.
A slam of the front door shatters the memory of the past, and I’m torn back to the present. Scooting up in bed, I stay still. The sounds of footsteps move through the living room and into the kitchen. The heavy boots of a man along with my mother’s heels clicking against the tiles alert me that she’s not alone.
“Listen to me,” Snake’s voice comes from downstairs. “Please, Tawny.” His pleading tone is filled with anguish. I’ve never heard him like that before. He’s always been the strong leader the guys needed, but right now, there’s a humanness to him, which makes my ears prick.
“No. I’m done listening to you and to the lie I’ve been hiding from my daughter for her whole life,” Mom responds, her tone a dark hiss of rage. A lie? What can she be talking about? “It’s done. I’ll talk to her and tell her the truth. She’s old enough to know, and I’m no longer hiding it from her.”
Pushing to my feet, I take a few tentative steps toward the open bedroom door. Silence is all I’m met with until I hear Snake. “Then I want to be here when you tell her.”
“Fine.” Mom sounds so resolute, which makes me nervous. “Then I’ll call her, and we can sit her down. This isn’t going to be easy.”
Anger settles in my stomach, twisting and turning as I step over the threshold on shaky legs, and I walk out onto the landing. Taking the stairs slowly, I stop when I reach the bottom and find Snake and Mom standing in the kitchen, a bottle of bourbon between them with double shots in glasses.
“What’s going on?” My question hangs in the air, but they don’t respond. “Why are you talking about me? What secrets are you h
iding?” Moving closer, I notice Snake’s gaze flitting to Mom before he looks back at me.
“I think it’s something your mother needs to sit you down and talk about.”
“No. I don’t want to sit down. I need you to tell me what the hell is going on.” I fold my arms across my chest in an attempt to hold myself together because all I can think about is that this must have to do with my dad. Perhaps they know where he’s gone or why he left. “Tell me!”
“Trin,” Mom starts, taking a step toward me, but I take one back, needing the space. I don’t want to be held or consoled because I don’t know the truth. Clearly. “I was young, and stupid, and I should’ve sat you down before your father left.”
“You weren’t stupid. We all decided to keep this secret.”
“What fucking secret?” My voice is shrill. The pain in my chest only seems to steal my breath. My hands shake when I release them from being wrapped around me, and with a glance between both my mother and Snake, I know neither of them want to do this, to tell me the truth.
“Listen to me, Trinity,” Mom finally says. “Speaking to me like that is unacceptable.”
“Oh? And lying to me my whole life is okay?” I bite out, fisting my hands at my sides, knowing that I’m pushing my luck, but if I don’t, I doubt I’ll ever learn the truth.
“No. It’s not okay, and I should never have done it.” Mom’s admission is pained, her words a mere whisper. “I knew it was wrong the moment I decided to do it.”
“If you don’t tell me right now, I’ll walk out, and I won’t come back.” The threat causes my mom’s gaze to drop to the floor, and she slowly nods. “I’m serious, Mom.”
“It’s not your mother’s fault.”
“What is? This is ridiculous. I’m not a child anymore.” This time, I lock my furious glare on Snake who’s moving toward Mom. His arm wraps around her, and he pulls her close. I’ve seen them together over the years, but I’ve never seen so much affection pass between the two.
“Darling,” Mom starts, lifting her hazel eyes to mine. “Snake is your real dad.” The confession is stilted, heavy, filled with foreboding and pain, yet nothing could have prepared me for what she said.
“What?”
“I wanted to tell you over the years, but when Roderick wanted to step in, and he loved your mother so much, I took a back seat, thinking it was best for you.”
“You gave me up without a care?” I question, shock twisting around my words as I voice them. “You didn’t want me?”
“Oh, I wanted you all right,” Snake tells me, and I can see the honesty flickering in his stare. “It’s your mom who loved Rod more than she wanted me in her life. I wasn’t exactly marriage material at the time. Young and stupid, more concerned with the club. Until you arrived. I stayed in your life, watching you grow, even though I knew I may never get the chance to tell you the truth.”
This causes my gaze to flick back to my mother. “And this is what you agreed to?”
“Darling, I just wanted you to have a family and Snake didn’t want to get married.” Her imploring tone doesn’t make me feel better. It only makes me angrier.
“A family? A fake family. So, if Dad didn’t want to tell me, what would you have done? Kept lying to me?” My words are poison as they fall from my tongue, and the flinch in my mother’s expression confirms I’ve hurt her, but right now I can’t bring myself to care.
Mom’s hair sways against her back as she shakes her head quickly. “I didn’t mean—”
“You didn’t mean for me to find out. After all the shit you gave me for wanting to be with Rogue, to be there when he woke up and make sure he was okay, you were the one who had kept secrets that could bring us all down as a family. Why did Dad leave?” I ask as soon as the thought comes to mind. He must’ve decided to tell me and Mom said no. The guilt in her gaze is confirmation of what I’d been thinking. “You told him to leave. Didn’t you?”
“I didn’t ask him to leave. I . . . I just needed him to understand that you would be hurt.”
“Of course, I would be hurt!” The words are so loud, bouncing off the walls that surround us, and it feels as if they’re closing in on me. My lungs struggle to pull in air, and when Snake moves toward me, my hand shoots out to stop him. “No. No. I don’t need this. I don’t want this.”
Spinning on my heel, I make it to the door before I hear my name. “Trinity.” My mother’s voice breaks. I’ve seen her cry once, when Dad left. And the next day, she was fine, as if nothing had happened.
Glancing at her from over my shoulder, I lock my gaze on hers. “Did you ever love him?”
Her mouth falls open, and she nods as tears stream down her cheeks. “Of course, I loved him. I wouldn’t have spent eighteen years with your dad.”
“You mean the man you lied to me about, telling me he was my father when he wasn’t. And you.” I point at Snake. “You could’ve come to me. You could’ve told me.”
“I know.” The only honest response I’ve heard tonight.
Nodding, I pull open the front door and step out of the house. “Don’t come see me. Don’t contact me. I need time.”
“Trinity, please,” Mom pleads, but I shake my head.
“No, there is no need for me to give you anything right now. Like I said, I need time. I need space. And if you force this,” I tell her, finding confidence in my heartbreak. “I won’t come back.” The promise is ice cold and confident. Shutting the door behind me, I run. My feet carry me next door, and I find Breaker and Rogue in the living room, Rogue lounging on the sofa as Breaker sets down two mugs of hot chocolate.
“What’s wrong?” Break and Rogue ask at the same time.
My gaze flicks between them before I respond, “I need a place to stay.”
“Our home is yours,” Breaker promises. “Come, sit. I’ll make another mug. You can have this one.” I never pictured a big bad biker drinking a candied treat, but he does, and I can’t help but smile through my tears.
“Come here,” Rogue says, pulling me into the crook of his body, and I nestle into the warmth of his hold. “No need to talk. Just stay.” And I know that this isn’t over. Our story is only beginning, and mine may just be heading for a cliff before I find an ending.
This may not be the end to Rogue and Trinity’s journey, but I hope you enjoyed it. Keep an eye out for their full length novel coming early 2022!
About the Author
Dani is a USA Today Bestselling Author of a dark and deviant romance. She lives in the picturesque city of Cape Town where wine is plenty, and the views are spectacular. She's also a proud member of the Romance Writer's Organization of South Africa (ROSA). When she's not writing, she can be found binge-watching the latest TV series, or working on graphic design. She has a healthy addiction to reading, tattoos, coffee, and ice cream.
www.danirene.com
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A New Beginning
Sons of Havoc Originals Prequel
Claire Shaw
1
BJ
Summer 1981
The Texas summer heat was bearing down on us as we watched the prospect load the van up with coolers and shit for a summer day out at the lake.
I w
as in a foul mood after ending things with Emma Lou the previous day. Emma Lou had been my girlfriend for a while now but god, did she drag me down. More than once my dad and the brothers had commented that she made me a miserable, grumpy son of a bitch.
I had to finally admit it was true, she really was making me miserable. Always getting at me to spend time with her and not my brothers or the club.
Telling me when we settled down, I’d need to grow up and leave the childish boys only club as she called it.
Bitch has no clue what the club means, what it truly meant to each of us.
My dad started the club with his buddies when he came back from Vietnam and was looking for a place to belong. The club grew from there and now we are a family.
My brother, Pete, and I prospected as soon as we were able and our friends soon joined us, my best buds Frank aka Bull, as he was bullheaded, and Jimmy aka Reck, as he was the reckless one of the group.
I was sitting on my bike watching the hive of activity around me when my brother, Pete, pulled up next to me.
“Fuck, this heat is killing me, can’t wait to get to the lake,” he says, wiping his head.
“I hear ya, where’s Doris?” Looking around for my brother’s ol’ lady.
Pete and Doris have been married for a while now.
“She went to pick her friend, Pip, up, they should be here soon.”
That got my attention, Pip and Doris had been friends for years, so she’s been around now and again.
She was gorgeous, with curly dark blonde hair and beautiful curves but she was also funny. That woman took no crap and could definitely handle herself, but she did it all with the grace of a lady.
Twisted Steel: An MC Anthology: Second Edition Page 77
